Leif Nordgren had bigger things on his mind when he embarked on the men’s individual biathlon competition at the 2022 Winter Olympics.
The 32-year-old Team USA biathlete was halfway across the world from his wife, Caitlin Napoleoni, and newborn daughter, Astrid Lynae Nordgren. On Tuesday, Nordgren got to see his daughter for the first time via FaceTime.
“It was actually really hard, to be honest,” an emotional Nordgren said after his race on Tuesday. “I was just thinking about my family in the warmup and brought some tears to my eyes.”
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Napoleoni gave birth to the couple’s first child at 7:55 p.m. ET on Sunday, and Nordgren says he was on FaceTime with his wife throughout labor.
Nordgren placed 87th in the men’s individual biathlon competition. The three-time Olympian’s final definite race in Beijing is on Feb. 15, and he should be able to meet his daughter in person for the first time shortly after in Burlington, Vt.
“Unfortunately, I didn’t produce the good result on the race today, but, you know, I think it’s a win no matter what for the home life,” he said.
